UPS Health Care 2010 in VISION - Non-union

If you have read your latest edition of Vision, you have noticed that on page 2, UPS is switching from a co-pay model to a "you pay a percentage of the provider's charges" model. I guess no one let Scotty know we got this recession going on.

Lets leave the current health care shouting match out of this. President Obama didn't make UPS health care sh**ty, the board of directors did.

So, with all the cost cutting, and I know that health care is a big expense (it is nicely detailed on page 3 how big of an expense it is), is:

a. there any more costs left to cut?
b. there a chance that things will ever get better?
c. it either get MIP/health care/half month bonus; you choose?
d. it possible that management employees can get that sweet union health care?

I wonder what kind of health care the members of the board of directors get? oh wait, most of them get medicare. i guess as long and the board is ok, we're ok.

If you have read your latest edition of Vision, you have noticed that on page 2, UPS is switching from a co-pay model to a "you pay a percentage of the provider's charges" model. I guess no one let Scotty know we got this recession going on.

Lets leave the current health care shouting match out of this. President Obama didn't make UPS health care sh**ty, the board of directors did.

So, with all the cost cutting, and I know that health care is a big expense (it is nicely detailed on page 3 how big of an expense it is), is:

a. there any more costs left to cut?
b. there a chance that things will ever get better?
c. it either get MIP/health care/half month bonus; you choose?
d. it possible that management employees can get that sweet union health care?

I wonder what kind of health care the members of the board of directors get? oh wait, most of them get medicare. i guess as long and the board is ok, we're ok.

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We can leave the politics of the current shouting matches out of it, but UPS is under the same pressure as anyone else is today's health care 'market'. A company as big as UPS has no leverage within the current marketplace of monopolistic insurers. It is estimated that in most areas, one insurer controls 70% of the market. That would be subject to anti-trust laws in any other part of our economy.

Health care premiums and costs are rising 4 times faster than inflation. Where is the money going? Hint: since 2000, profits for the health care industry have risen over 400%

The board is simply living with the current crappy US health care 'system'. Not their fault. Just like it's not their fault gasoline cost $4.50 a gallon last summer.

I'm sincerely hoping they don't decide to simply hand each of us the amount they set aside for our health care, and tell us to go root around for ourselves. We are all well and truly screwed then.

If you have read your latest edition of Vision, you have noticed that on page 2, UPS is switching from a co-pay model to a "you pay a percentage of the provider's charges" model. I guess no one let Scotty know we got this recession going on.

Lets leave the current health care shouting match out of this. President Obama didn't make UPS health care sh**ty, the board of directors did.

So, with all the cost cutting, and I know that health care is a big expense (it is nicely detailed on page 3 how big of an expense it is), is:

a. there any more costs left to cut?
b. there a chance that things will ever get better?
c. it either get MIP/health care/half month bonus; you choose?
d. it possible that management employees can get that sweet union health care?

I wonder what kind of health care the members of the board of directors get? oh wait, most of them get medicare. i guess as long and the board is ok, we're ok.

Click to expand...

Here's a pretty good article stuffed with facts and figures about the large oligopolies in the health care market:

To the best of my knowledge, UPS is self insured (they pay the bills directly). The insurance companies are just claims processors.

UPS has all the leverage.

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Not with the providers. Here in Louisville, Norton Healthcare decided to take their ball and go home when Anthem wouldn't cave into demands for more money. Left thousands of people in the lurch.

UPS pays the claims, but we use the networks of the insurers we contract with. Here in Kentucky, we switched from Anthem to United Healthcare. Suddenly, one of my doctors is 'out of network' and so is his laboratory that does the blood workups.

Which is an example of the insanity of the health care 'system': I need to see my PCP at least twice a year so that he can monitor the effects of the medication I am taking.

My rheumatologist must also take blood at least once every 90 days because of the stuff I am taking for arthritis.

Do you think I could get the two of them to coordinate? NO. The PCP office kept failing to send my results to the other doc, so I had to keep going to him for blood work. And pay out of network costs. Not to mention having two extra blood draws. (6 vs. 4)

Not with the providers. Here in Louisville, Norton Healthcare decided to take their ball and go home when Anthem wouldn't cave into demands for more money. Left thousands of people in the lurch.

UPS pays the claims, but we use the networks of the insurers we contract with. Here in Kentucky, we switched from Anthem to United Healthcare. Suddenly, one of my doctors is 'out of network' and so is his laboratory that does the blood workups.

Which is an example of the insanity of the health care 'system': I need to see my PCP at least twice a year so that he can monitor the effects of the medication I am taking.

My rheumatologist must also take blood at least once every 90 days because of the stuff I am taking for arthritis.

Do you think I could get the two of them to coordinate? NO. The PCP office kept failing to send my results to the other doc, so I had to keep going to him for blood work. And pay out of network costs. Not to mention having two extra blood draws. (6 vs. 4)

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This is a good example of why we need the market more open. If UPS were allowed to purchase insurance policies from a state where its cheaper to purchase health insurance for the entire company they could have a lot more leverage as more insurers would go into that market and bring prices down with competition. All the mandates which are different for each state forces a distortion in the market causing some of the issues we have today.

This is a good example of why we need the market more open. If UPS were allowed to purchase insurance policies from a state where its cheaper to purchase health insurance for the entire company they could have a lot more leverage as more insurers would go into that market and bring prices down with competition. All the mandates which are different for each state forces a distortion in the market causing some of the issues we have today.

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UPS contracts with United Healthcare for a regional solution; it's not just Kentucky.

The market distortion is the concentration of market power in the hands of too few insurers. I have no problem with a uniform set of standards, as long as they are 'median' standards, not a race to the laxest or loosest standards.

If you have read your latest edition of Vision, you have noticed that on page 2, UPS is switching from a co-pay model to a "you pay a percentage of the provider's charges" model. I guess no one let Scotty know we got this recession going on.

Lets leave the current health care shouting match out of this. President Obama didn't make UPS health care sh**ty, the board of directors did.

So, with all the cost cutting, and I know that health care is a big expense (it is nicely detailed on page 3 how big of an expense it is), is:

a. there any more costs left to cut?
b. there a chance that things will ever get better?
c. it either get MIP/health care/half month bonus; you choose?
d. it possible that management employees can get that sweet union health care?

I wonder what kind of health care the members of the board of directors get? oh wait, most of them get medicare. i guess as long and the board is ok, we're ok.

Click to expand...

I think they're just getting ready for this years big raise, that's all.

They pay the same as Ragan, nothing. UPS Grade 20's can afford to pay, what about the young drivers that will be asked to pay in the next contract. UPS can afford to provide health care for all Teamsters, we must never give this up. Sups and Mgrs have raked in MIP, stock, they can afford to pay.

UPS is self insured. This is similar to a single payer system. Providers are private and costs of health care for employees are paid directly. Socialized health care is when the doctors and other health care workers are employed by the government and the government builds and owns the hospitals and clinics. The amount UPS comes up with each year describing the non-union employees share of "premiums" and UPS's share is either a projected amount or based on the past year of costs. It doesn't represent a real premium payment. VISIONS 2010 represents another shift in the direction of "shared responsibility". Now, not only will employees pay a larger "premium", but they will have a deductible to satisfy before their 80-20 coverage kicks in. Hope you employees realize that if you get cancer that 20% of your share could reach $60,000 - $100,000. The union should keep pushing for 100% of their coverage being paid. As a non-union employee, I already pay 30% of my gross wages for my "share". With this new plan in 2010, I can just kiss another 10% of my gross pay goodbye. If healthcare costs keep going this way, in another 4-5 years I will be paying UPS to come to work everyday as I won't even make enough for my employee share.

UPS is self insured. This is similar to a single payer system. Providers are private and costs of health care for employees are paid directly. Socialized health care is when the doctors and other health care workers are employed by the government and the government builds and owns the hospitals and clinics. The amount UPS comes up with each year describing the non-union employees share of "premiums" and UPS's share is either a projected amount or based on the past year of costs. It doesn't represent a real premium payment. VISIONS 2010 represents another shift in the direction of "shared responsibility". Now, not only will employees pay a larger "premium", but they will have a deductible to satisfy before their 80-20 coverage kicks in. Hope you employees realize that if you get cancer that 20% of your share could reach $60,000 - $100,000. The union should keep pushing for 100% of their coverage being paid. As a non-union employee, I already pay 30% of my gross wages for my "share". With this new plan in 2010, I can just kiss another 10% of my gross pay goodbye. If healthcare costs keep going this way, in another 4-5 years I will be paying UPS to come to work everyday as I won't even make enough for my employee share.

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I think your interpretation may be off in this one respect ... understandable with the cryptic outline in Visions. The briefings I have had indicate that there is an out-of-pocket maximum of around $3500 per individual per year. We will find out over the next two weeks as more info comes out. Definitely a change in concept and moving towards a true insurance plan to cover catastrophic events.

Many people would rather continue to see the health insurance companies reap billions of $ in blood money than support anything that is labeled "socialist."

Unfortunately, many people in this country are sheep and are buying into the insurers' misleading propaganda. Reform doesn't stand a chance.

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I sure hope this reform bill fails. More time needs to be spent developing a system which will not be an over-funded gorilla.
I just don't understand why anyone thinks the US Government will suddenly become efficient at something. Truthfully, the government is good at building roads and defense. Other than that, not so much.

"I think your interpretation may be off in this one respect ... understandable with the cryptic outline in Visions. The briefings I have had indicate that there is an out-of-pocket maximum of around $3500 per individual per year. We will find out over the next two weeks as more info comes out. Definitely a change in concept and moving towards a true insurance plan to cover catastrophic events."

Hoaxster, I agree with you that UPS is definitely moving in the direction of catastrophic insurance only. From the Visions brochure, I noticed that a Traditional PPO and a Healthy Savings PPO offered. Which Plan would that maximum of $3,500 out of pocket cost apply to? In Massachusetts, the new Health Insurance law would make that "plan" illegal because it simply doesn't provide enough coverage But since UPS is "SELF-INSURED" they make their own rules. No existing insurance laws cover them at all.
And another point--many so-called insurance plans limit the kinds of medical expenses that even go towards the maximum quoted "out-of- pocket " cost. Many times health care plans deem cancer treatment protocols medically unnecessary. The average cancer patient WITH insurance in the United States incurs $35,000 of out-of-pocket expense during the course of treatment. Here's what will be a common scenario: your "share" of the "premium" for the Traditional PPO will probably be $5,000 per year for a family plan (presently at about $4,200 in my state). That maximum out of pocket cost normally applies separately to every member of a family in a Family Plan on an annual basis. Catastrophic is right. The question is, will an average non-union employee at UPS even be making enough in pay to cover their health costs for the year?